The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-23

like lawn, the grass being thick and
green, as the editor has often seen,
which fully proves the benefit of grain
feeding in the barn to stock which
runs in the pasture.
RAISING AND CARE OF HORSES"
was the subject taken by Mr.. Hill,
member of the board. This once
prominent industry of Vermont has
within the last six years been again re-
ceiving much more of the attention
it deserves. Vermont is peculiarly
adapted to grazing, and the dairy,
which is our largest industry, is now
severely crowded by the West. Iowa,
admitted into the Union only forty years
ago, now makes four times as much
butter as Vermont, and Wisconsin and
Minnesota are fast following after, and
with these causes and the introduction
of imitation butter it behooves us to be
looking about to see where our industry
may be directed in other channels with
profit. The raising of horses, and good
ones, promises to afford one such chan
mel. Mistakes are often made in breed
ing from too old, unsound and broken
down mares. a young mare of three
years may safely raise a colt, but no
mare should be put TO work with foal
by her side until she is at least six years
old. Care should be taken to see that
the colt has milk as soon as he is able to
stand, and the pasture should be made
free from holes where he might iniure
himself. Colts may be weaned when
brought to the barn and may be fed
two quarts of ground oats twice day,
N Of Il hot
hay they may want. Colts should be
kept in box-stalls with earth floors well
Uttered with straw, which, while made
warm, should be well ventilated. A
valuable horse belonging to friend,
put in tight box stall, after four hours
stay was nearly dead, and did not re-
cover from the effects of the poison for
several days. A crack should be left
under the door, and a small door made
in the stall through which the colt may
put his head. Now the colt may be
handled. No man with an ungovern-
able temper should ever be allowed to
handle colt, and no rough treatment or
loud talk should be allowed in handling
them. The horse will be likely to re-
fleet largely the general disposition and |
character of its handler. Colts should |
not be hitched to post or other firm
place, or allowed to throw themselves |
while halter-breaking them, for by
kind and yielding treatment, and with |
patience, they will soon be safely
broken. He makes it rule to break |
his colts in the biting rather than in
the harness. He harnesses first be- |
side a steady horse; after they get |
well steadied there he bitches them in
single, and while they are sobered |
from their double drive. Then use
care, and above all have patience; deal
gently with them and not make them
vicious by i'll treatment. The aver
age cost of the average colt he puts
as follows; First cost, SO; first, sec
ond and third years, $50 per year:
fourth, $50; fifth, S40-making $40.
Shooting is of the utmost importance,
and faulty shoeing he regards as one of
the most fruitful causes of spelling
colts. The ordinary country black
smith may almost be said to be a curse
to the horsepower. He does not al
low his sheer to pare the hoof, as is u.s.
ually practiced, or the outer shell to be
pared away to make the hoof look nice.
Vermont has climatic influences which
give her farmers an advantage in breed
ing horses which they should not be
slow in taking advantage of. He likes
a good horse. There is a feeling in
some circles that man can hardly like
and drive a good horse, especially if he
can trot mile in less than two
thirty" and be gentleman or an hon
est man, but he did not hold that
opinion. Question:" To what extent
may horses be used in Vermont with
out shoeing?" AnScer-He had always
had his horses shod; if not they
would hardly work on our roads, but
might on a farm. In Iowa they 90
argely without shoes. AS feed for
horses he likes one of half
oats and half corn and cob ground
.ogether. A general fault of feeding
among farmers is allowing too much
nay, which is most prolific cause of
leaves and distends the body. Ten or
,welve pounds of hay twice per day is
more than enough.